ESV Reformation Study Bible – 1 Tim 3:11
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1 Tim 3:11

3:11 Their wives. Lit. “women.” This verse abruptly interrupts the section on deacons. Its meaning is contested. The “women” are probably either the wives of the deacons or themselves deacons. The abruptness of the insertion probably reflects Paul’s concern that women, in particular, have not fared well at the hands of the false teachers (2:14; 5:15).